Sunday, October 9, 2011

The importance of Infant and Children's Hearing protection

"Hearing is a gift most people take for granted until they start losing it. Because the chronic din of ordinary life is higher than ever, reducing excessive noise can improve your hearing health, no matter your age. Make protection of your hearing part of your everyday lifestyle."Simon C. Parisier, MD, co-director of The Cochlear Implant Center at The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary and founder of The Children's Hearing Institute.

My parents and In-laws are great. I love them. Super suportive... but they still have some ideas that are quite different to my own when it comes to child rearing. My own parent's words of wisdom when our son came along ALL centreed on de-sensitising him to noises when he was sleeping. My own father went outside and mowed the lawn as soon as I was brought home from the hospital. It was his way of saying "We have a baby, we don't need to give up our loves and tip-toe around our children..." Whilist I have to agree with him in part, I don't believe that it needs to be carried out to the extents that some parents do. They expect babies to sleep through rock concerts (Literally!), still work and visit Drag Strips when 8 months pregnant (Fine if you are in the insulated corporate box.... not so fine when you're on the side line with a helpless infant in your belly!)... some even expect their children to be able to handle the same levels of noise exposure that they subject themselves to. The fact of the matter is, infant and children's ears are MUCH different to our own. For more information on this and how hearing damage is propogated, check out this FACT SHEET from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communicative Disorders (NIDCD).

Below is a table that outlines different noisy activities and the exposure times until hearing damage.

Average decibels

Exposure time until hearing damage

Gunshot

165db

Immediate

Rocket launch

180db

Immediate

Power tools

100db

15 minutes

Speedboat

110db

2 minutes

Lawnmower

90db

2 hours

Personal stereo system on max level

105db

4 minutes

Chainsaw

110db

2 minutes

Jackhammer

120db

15 seconds

Average Rock concert

110db

2 minutes

Chainsaw

110db

2 minutes

Firecrackers

140db

Immediate

In utero even an Infant's hearing can be damaged due to the simple fact that sound travels better and further and faster in water... and what do babies live in for the 9 months before they are born? Anywhere from 18-24 weeks onwards a child's ear and the parts in it are being developed and become active. They can hear us speak... so why wouldn't we expect that they'd equally be able to hear other loud noises and be damaged by them, just as they are outside of the womb?

Unfortunantly when you are pregnant, there isn't alot you can do except avoid those situations where noise is excessive (In my case, working as a Junior engineer on the floor in a Rail Yard, I had to take a desk job from 24 weeks onwards for this very reason!). In infants and children though, we have access to some great products that will even have the KIDS wanting to look after themselves! Beetle Bugz are proud distributors of Em's Ear Muffs and we focus on industries such as Motorsports to make sure that even the smallest members of the family are able to participate!

Designed in Australia, Em's 4 Bubs use a headband to hold the earmuffs in place, which helps disperse pressure more evenly around the skull of your baby. With a 22dB noise reduction rating, Em's 4 Bubs are the world's smallest hearing protection earmuffs, designed just for infants. These are also the ONLY earmuffs recommended for use in under 6 month olds!

Like Em's 4 Kids earmuffs (Please see our safety section for these!), they can be used in a wide variety of settings - from concerts and car races (Where we use them!) to sporting events and shopping centres. We've even used them when renovations were going on around us. Use them to protect your child's hearing or to help settle them when disturbed by a noisy environment.

For the slightly older kids, we stock Em's 4 Kids Earmuffs! Weighing only 190 grams, these earmuffs are light but sturdy. They can be folded up to fit in the palm of your hand, making them easy to carry with you, or store away.

Like Em's 4 Bubs earmuffs (Please see our safety section for these!), they can be used in a wide variety of settings - from concerts and car races (Where we use them!) to sporting events and shopping centres. We've even used them when renovations were going on around us. Use them to protect your child's hearing or to help settle them when disturbed by a noisy environment.

These are best for use for 12 month olds and up. If this is your first earmuff purchase for your 1+ year old, skip the Bub's earmuffs and head straight for these!

For more information on these or any of other Baby Safety Products, please check out our website! www.beetlebugz.com.au